Etihad Airways and airberlin align maintenance operations in Chicago

Etihad Airways and airberlin align maintenance operations in Chicago

06 Mar 2013 11:43

Etihad Airways has opened a line maintenance base at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport, the UAE flag carrier’s seventh outside Abu Dhabi and its first in the United States.

The new facility is equipped with the latest
technology and will perform all scheduled and non-scheduled line maintenance
for Etihad Airways’ daily Boeing 777 aircraft flying into Chicago from the UAE
capital.

In addition, and as a result of growing synergies
between partners, the new base will also provide line maintenance services for
airberlin’s new Airbus A330-operated Chicago flights. airberlin begins
its three weekly nonstop Berlin-Chicago services on March 23, rising to five a
week in summer 2013.

James Hogan, President and Chief Executive Officer of
Etihad Airways, said: “Extending our new Chicago line maintenance
facility to airberlin, is another excellent example of the value of our
strategic partnership, enabling both carriers to achieve greater technical and
cost synergies.

“As partners, it makes operational and commercial
sense to work together on issues such as common maintenance, and we expect the
synergies and efficiencies we achieve through this specific integration to
deliver tangible benefits for both our businesses.”

Wolfgang
Prock-Schauer, Chief Executive Officer of airberlin, said: "airberlin
and Etihad Airways have been working together successfully since the beginning
of their partnership in December 2011 and, by taking a joint approach, they are
always able to find new ways to continue expanding the synergy potential
associated with this cooperation.

“The cooperation between airberlin and
Etihad Airways in the area of line maintenance has already proven its worth.
This arrangement sees airberlin maintain the aircraft of Etihad Airways as part
of its line maintenance activities at its technical locations in Dusseldorf and
Munich and, in return, Etihad Airways maintains the airberlin Airbus A330 in
Abu Dhabi.

“For us, it was therefore a logical step
to draw on the expertise of Etihad Airways in terms of maintenance for Chicago,
thereby ensuring high-quality and reliable maintenance at our new US
destination."

Etihad Airways is deploying a team of Abu
Dhabi-trained line maintenance aircraft engineers to be based at the new
Chicago facility, with additional engineering support provided by Chicago-based
aircraft maintenance provider, Flightcheck LLC.

The maintenance services to be performed in Chicago
will include transit, daily and weekly checks, scheduled engineering services,
and fault repairs for aircraft systems and cabin issues.

In addition to extending line maintenance services to
airberlin, Etihad Airways will also offer full technical handling for at least
one other carrier.